Reservoirs & lochs · South East England
Boarstall Duck Decoy
In or near Arncott.
The Boarstall Duck Decoy is a 17th-century duck decoy located in Boarstall, Buckinghamshire, England, and now a National Trust property. The system took advantage of a two-acre lake with pipe-cage tun
Steve Daniels — CC BY-SA 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons licence
Plan your visit
- Typical visit
- 1 h–2.5 h
- Nearest railway station
- Bicester Village · 7.7 km
- Free entry
- Family-friendly
- Dog-friendly
Getting there & planning your visit
To visit Boarstall Duck Decoy, the nearest railway station is Bicester Village, located 7.7 km away. The postcode for sat-nav is HP18 9UX, and entry is free.
About
The Boarstall Duck Decoy is a 17th-century duck decoy located in Boarstall, Buckinghamshire, England, and now a National Trust property. The system took advantage of a two-acre lake with pipe-cage tunnels running out of it. At one time a common sight in the English countryside, only four duck decoys now remain. The Boarstall Duck Decoy is still in working order, and is surrounded by 13 acres (53,000 m2) of natural woodland. The intent of the decoy was to catch large numbers of waterfowl. A decoy or fake duck was used to attract birds onto a small patch of water. The pond was equipped with a long cone-shaped wickerwork tunnel. A "decoyman" with a trained dog then herded the birds into the tunnel. Once the birds had been trapped in the tunnel, they could then be caught as required. Originally, the birds trapped here were a source of food. The advantage over simply shooting the birds was that ducks caught by this method did not have pellets or lead shot in their bodies that would have to be removed prior to consumption, allowing them to command higher prices. Today, the National Trust organise demonstrations, and any birds caught are ringed for ornithological study. One duck apparently traveled as far away as Turkey.
Photo gallery
Protected designations
- Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty: Chilterns
Designations sourced from Natural England open data under OGL v3.
From the Wikipedia article
The Boarstall Duck Decoy is a 17th-century duck decoy located in Boarstall, Buckinghamshire, England, and now a National Trust property. The system took advantage of a two-acre lake with pipe-cage tunnels running out of it. At one time a common sight in the English countryside, only four duck decoys now remain. The Boarstall Duck Decoy is still in working order, and is surrounded by 13 acres (53,000 m2) of natural woodland. The intent of the decoy was to catch large numbers of waterfowl. A decoy or fake duck was used to attract birds onto a small patch of water. The pond was equipped with a long cone-shaped wickerwork tunnel. A "decoyman" with a trained dog then herded the birds into the tunnel. Once the birds had been trapped in the tunnel, they could then be caught as required. Originally, the birds trapped here were a source of food. The advantage over simply shooting the birds was that ducks caught by this method did not have pellets or lead shot in their bodies that would have to be removed prior to consumption, allowing them to command higher prices. Today, the National Trust organise demonstrations, and any birds caught are ringed for ornithological study. One duck apparently traveled as far away as Turkey.
Excerpt from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0. See the source article linked in Sources below.
- Coordinates
- 51.8311, -1.0967
- District
- Buckinghamshire
- Parish
- Boarstall
- Postcode
- HP18 9UX
- Parliamentary constituency
- Mid Buckinghamshire
- Nearest railway station
- Bicester Village — 7.7 km
Sources
- wikipedia: Boarstall Duck Decoy (CC BY-SA 4.0)
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Frequently asked questions
- Where is Boarstall Duck Decoy?
- Boarstall Duck Decoy is in South-East England, United Kingdom (postcode HP18 9UX), in the parish of Boarstall.
- What is Boarstall Duck Decoy?
- The Boarstall Duck Decoy is a 17th-century duck decoy located in Boarstall, Buckinghamshire, England, and now a National Trust property. The system took advantage of a two-acre lake with pipe-cage tun
- How do I get to Boarstall Duck Decoy?
- The nearest railway station is Bicester Village, about 7.7 km away. Drivers can use postcode HP18 9UX.
- Is Boarstall Duck Decoy a protected site?
- Yes — Boarstall Duck Decoy is part of the Chilterns National Landscape (AONB).
- Is Boarstall Duck Decoy free to visit?
- Yes, Boarstall Duck Decoy is free to enter.
- How do I get to Boarstall Duck Decoy?
- The nearest railway station is Bicester Village, about 7.7 km away. Drivers can navigate to postcode HP18 9UX.